Day Three Hundred Fifty-Five…

Day Three Hundred Fifty-Five…

What do you think of when you read the word, craving? I think of this as a negative word, one that has deep roots primitive behaviors that spell trouble for changing my lifestyle when it comes to food and fitness.

Well, it turns out I’m half right. A craving is a primitive behavior. One that is generated from the hippocampus, a part of the brain that houses memory. Whenever we establish a habit, the brain learns to anticipate a reward and kicks a craving into action. The longer we delay the reward the stronger the craving becomes.

However, we can use this part of human nature to our advantage. Instead of craving chips, cookies, or cake, we can train our brain to crave the sensation we get after a good workout. I think that’s why it’s so important to have non-scale goals because when we crave weight loss in numbers we can be easily disappointed. Sometimes, even when we have a perfect week, we don’t get these ideal numbers we were hoping for and end up feeling frustrated and despondent. No good.

Reflecting back on this (almost) year-long-journey I have learned to crave productive rewards that are helping me to get to goal. I’m so close, almost there. I feel great and am filled with gratitude.

DAY 24: Get out in nature—take a walk, do some gardening, or just lay in the grass.

This was the perfect challenge for today. It was such a lovely summer day. My husband and I went to the beach and had a nice time. Until our quiet shady reading spot was invaded by a raucous group of 13-year-olds celebrating a birthday. Loud and full of energy – so we left and went to the village to enjoy a walk on the dock. It was sunny and breezy and we thoroughly enjoyed the weather.